A personal exploration of Disney media along with the chronicling of my many trips to Disneyland through the years. And while this is primarily a Disney and Disneyland blog, along the way I occasionally contribute writings on some other pop culture and media topics just for the fun of it. There are almost 800 posts to this blog. Click through the Archives and I hope you have a good time. Enjoy The Disneyland Traveler Blog (completely without ads or annoying attempts to sell you anything).

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Another Visit From The Disney Collectible Curmudgeon

NO!!!!

With now less than 2 weeks from actually being in Disneyland, my attention turns toward my least favorite aspect of any trip to Disneyland - shopping. I know that makes me the exception from most people that pass through the turnstiles. I can't feel too bad though. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler more than makes up from my absence from the stores. She can't pass by one without stopping which usually leaves me on a nearby bench - which I am actually fine with, that is until that innevitable text message or phone call comes that says "come in here, I need you to look at something". That little trip from the bench to the store usually costs me $$$.

Now if I'm being honest, there are a couple of stores I like. There is Off The Page in DCA. And I like Disneyana on Main St. but its due to close right around the time I show up and eventually merge in with the Disney Gallery. These stores sell some nice things. And I like The Gag Factory because of its whimsy and seemingly doesn't take itself too seriously. The rest of the stores, you can have them, even though I know Mrs. DLT will call me into each and every one of them before our week's stay is through.

But still, Disney tries to guilt me into collecting something. I've tried but I just can't seem to generate any enthusiasm for Disney collecting. I have several Disney baseball hats but I don't wear any Disney clothing outside my visits to the park. The hats are more functinal than decorative. All other Disney clothing items end up in the closet or drawers. I've got a couple of pins, but when I go into a pin shop, I get dizzy from the shear volume of pins available. Vinylmation? I would rather spend 24 hrs going round and round on it's a small world before I let one of those hidious little abominations in my house. We have Disney coffee cups and maybe a shot glass or two but nothing in the realm of being a collection. Did I mention I am also....eh......extremely "practical" when it comes to Disney shopping. Mrs. DLT calls it......eh........being cheap.

As I've mentioned before we have maybe eight Disneyland poster prints nicely framed and distributed around the house. I like most of them (though I've kind of soured on the Kinkade prints since the guy kind of turned out to be something of a liar and a fraud). Mrs. DLT has a few very nice Mickey and Minnie Lenox pieces in her curio cabinet. Maybe that's the secret. When shopping at Disneyland, resist the urge to collect for collectibles sake. If you see something that's nice and you can see it occupying a nice place in your home, go for it. Let's face it, 90% if what's sold at the stores in the parks is junk. But Disney also sells some very nice things. My goal is to forget about the collecting and if I see something I really would like, then send Mrs. DLT over pick it up. She'll buy anthing.